Unleashed
by Imaginary Raine
Summary: Even though Zachary was the "last" Salvatore, he was never the last of his family. When an unexpected visitor drops by looking for him, what are the Salvatore brothers to do? Who is Isabella Swan and what link does she have with Zach?
1. Prologue

**This is my first ever english written story, and it has not been betaed. Please, forgive me if there is any ****(though I'm sure there are plenty) **errors.

**I would like to thank both Kittyinaz and Bertie Bott. Their stories served as inspiration for me to try and start my own.**

**In the Twilight verse, this story takes place after Bella "awakes" from her zombie state and starts to speak with the others again. In The Vampire Diaries, this starts in season 2.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and The Vampire Diaries are property of their own respective creators.**

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_**Summary: **Even though Zachary was the "last" Salvatore, he was never the last of his family. When an unexpected visitor drops by looking for him, what are the Salvatore brothers to do? What link does Bella have with Zach?_

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_**Prologue**_

The door of the Mystic Grill opened and Isabella Swan came out. She looked to be in her early twenties, with a pale complexion with long, brown hair, chocolate-brown eyes and a heart-shaped face with prominent cheekbones and a thin nose. She was 5'4" tall and possessed a slender body. In one hand she carried a carryout bag, while in the other she had a cell phone, typing furiously on it. She kept on walking towards the parking lot, where she had left the car she had rented. So absorbed in her thoughts, she never saw the person coming toward her.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there." It would seem that even though she did not trip over thin air as often as she did during her teenager days, little accidents such as stumbling on another people would always be a part of her life.

"Don't worry, it's okay. I also didn't – Isabella?" the one that she collided against and that called her name was a blonde woman with a pixie haircut, dressed in a police uniform. Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes.

"Oh! Sheriff Forbes!" Elizabeth Forbes was someone who reminded her greatly of Charlie. A police officer married to her work and with a daughter who, though she loved very much, she had an estranged relationship with. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, though surprised to see you here," said the blonde. Isabella Swan only ever appeared in Mystic Falls to visit Zach Salvatore, a member of one of the Founding Families, and main supplier of vervain for the Founder's Council. Seeing as he was out of the town, Liz was undoubtedly confused to see the brunette around.

"Yeah. It's been a while since I last visited Zach… so here I am," said Isabella. Liz furrowed her brow. Didn't she know about Zach not being here? She thought it strange. Zach would never lose the opportunity to see his cousin. Since they have met, they have adored each other. If he knew that Isabella would be coming to visit him, he would make sure to be there for her, and if he was not, he would at least warn her. That she didn't know about him bewildered Liz.

"Well, Sheriff Forbes," the brunette continued. Liz was never able to make her call her anything else. "I better get going. It was good to see you," and she continued her trek to the car. By the time that Liz snapped out of it, Isabella was already driving away from the parking lot.

* * *

Inside the rented car, Isabella made her way to the Salvatore Boarding House. She was excited to see her cousin again. _Though the fucker better have an explanation about why he isn't answering his phone_, she thought with narrowed eyes. She has been trying to speak with him for a few months already and Zach didn't even have the decency to call her back. She was angry, but more than anything, she was anxious. What if something had happened to him and that was why he didn't answer her?

She inhaled, held her breath, and then exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself. It wouldn't do her any good to get herself worked out. She really wished that Angela had come with her, she was extremely good at keeping Isabella calm. Besides, Zach loved Angela as much as she herself did, and Angela found the stories that Zach told about the Salvatore family fascinating. She did as well, but not to the same extent as Angela. Though the both of them still got the creeps every time the _brothers_ were mentioned.

She felt a chill go down her spine. She shouldn't be thinking about them. Even the possibility of ever meeting them was close to none. If they made an appearance, Zach would tell her, right? Her mental pep talk was not enough to make her unease go away. In fact, it only made it increase.

So lost in thought, she didn't realize that she had already arrived at the Boarding House and had been sitting inside of the stopped car for a while now. Startled, she turned off the car and exited. Every step she took in the mansion's direction only made the wish to turn around, get back in the car and drive far, far away stronger. What the hell was going on with that house? She has been coming here for years and it never happened, what was different _now_?

After some calming breaths, she found the courage to ring the doorbell – of course it took her a while to do it, what with the strange feeling and all – and wait for Zach to open the door. She had already prepared the angry tirade she would go through the moment he opened the door. She heard the handle and steeled herself, but when the door opened, it was not Zach who was behind it.

The man who opened the door was taller than her, about 5'9". From what she could see from his dark shirt, he had a well-built, toned physique. He was in his early to mid-twenties, with a light complexion with olive undertones, a strong bone structure with high cheeks bones and a solid jaw line. Dark hair casually disarrayed, hanging just over his ears, framed his face. And a pair of striking, intense blue eyes, contrasting wonderfully against darkened lashes and eyebrows, stared straight at her chocolate orbs.

He was incredibly handsome and she felt herself blush. He surely saw it, if the smirk he was sporting now was anything to go by. This was one sexy man who was completely aware of it and the effect his looks had on the women around him. _Confident_.

"Hello there," his voice was low, seductive. _Even his voice is sexy_. She felt her blush getting darker. His smirk widened. "How can I help you?" his blue eyes raked her body from head to toe and she suddenly felt self-conscious. Dropping her eyes and biting her lip, she didn't see when his eyes lowered and darkened, the blue becoming smoldering.

"I'm looking for Zach Salvatore," she answered shyly, looking at him through her lashes. "Is he in?"

Damon felt himself freeze, though his outward appearance didn't change. He was too experienced at acting to give himself away to a stranger. There was a human – a hot and tempting woman – at his door looking for his nephew. The nephew he killed months ago. The nephew that everybody thought was out of town on family business. So why was there someone knocking on his door and asking for _Zach_? He let his eyes go over her form again, taking in all the details. Who was this woman?

Isabella had always prided herself on her observational skills. Uncover a family of vampires just by watching them was no easy feat, after all. So, when she saw the minute stiffening on the dark-haired man's body, she grew nervous. What was going on? Who was he?

"I'm sorry to say," Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome said. "But Zach is out of town on family business."

Isabella furrowed her brow. It was impossible. If Zach had left town, he would have warned her or Angela, just in the case that they were preparing to visit him (like she was doing now).

She considered the man in front of her. There was something about him that made her unease. Something dark, _dangerous_. She unconsciously shivered. Being in the presence of this handsome stranger was enough to awake the instinct of self-preservation that she was sure she lacked.

Damon saw the shiver that went down the beautiful woman's spine and felt the predator inside stir. It has been a while since he last indulged himself with warm blood straight from someone's vein, and the brunette in front of him certainly smelled delicious. _M__outhwatering_.

"Oh!" though disappointed that she would not be able to see Zach, she was sure that something was going on now. She just didn't know what. "Do you know when he is going to come back, Mr. …?"

"My name is Damon Salvatore." She was sure that her insides had just turned to ice.

_Fuck!_


	2. Chapter 1

**So here is the first chapter of Unleashed. ****Again, this has not been betaed, so if you catch any mistake, please, tell me so I can fix it.**

**To everybody that favorited, followed or reviewed: thank you. It was certainly more than I expected.**

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**_Chapter 1_**

Isabella entered her hotel room as if the very hounds of hell were on her heels. She locked the door and backed away. _As if locked doors are going to be enough to stop them_, she thought self-deprecatingly. Her face was ashen and she was shaking. She continued to back away, not paying attention to her surroundings; her sole focus was on the door. Unsurprisingly, she didn't see the suitcase beside the bed, but she certainly felt when her back came in contact with the unforgiving and hard frame after tripping over said suitcase and, with a surprised squeal, falling backwards and crashing against the bed.

She just stayed there for a while thinking about her situation and sporting a sore back.

She just couldn't believe her bad luck. First in Forks, and now here. What the fuck was wrong with her? Was she some kind of magnet to supernatural creatures or some shit like that? Vampires that were cold and hard as stone (_and acted like that too_, she thought bitterly), natives that turned into horse-sized wolves and vampires that were just like the ones mentioned in the books. What is next? Witches? Werewolves? Fairies? Elves? She would love to meet an elf. Maybe he would be as awesome as Legolas. Or maybe she would be able to finally meet Harry Potter. Though considering her luck, it would be easier for her to encounter a true lycanthrope on the full moon and serve as its chew toy than to encounter a handsome elf or a cute wizard, if they really existed.

The buzz of her vibrating cellphone snapped her out of her daze. With trembling hands, she reached out to it and answered without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?" her voice came out with a slight tremble.

"_Isabella Swan, you inconsiderate bitch," _Angela's voice sounded in her ear, scolding her. _"Why didn't you call me to tell how things are going? You promised, remember?"_

Angela Weber was her best friend. More than that, Angela was her sister. She was the one who almost single-handedly put her back on her tracks after she woke up kind of lost from her zombie state. From starting to live again – Edward's stunt almost destroyed her, after all – to discovering her connection to the Salvatore family and meeting Zach, Angela has been with her through it all.

"Ang," she choked on the words. How she was going to tell Angela about what she was sure happened here? But Angela apparently didn't hear the way her voice came out because she continued her interrogation.

_"So, how are things in Mystic Falls? The same since we were last in there, I suppose. The curse of small towns… Are you at the Boarding House yet? How is Zach?" _question after question was fired up in quick succession. She was not the only one worried about her cousin. He was as much family to Angela as he was to Isabella herself.

"Ang," she tried to make herself heard, but Angela was a little too caught up in her anxiousness to hear her. "Angela, shut the fuck up and listen to me," she shouted. The loud noise enough to cause her friend to pause.

_"Hey, there is no need to shout! Is everything alright? You sound like you're having a mental breakdown."_

"Really? Maybe it's because I'm actually having one," her voice sounded snappish, but God, she was not only scared, but sad as well – grieving – and it made her edgy.

_"Goddamn it! You're starting to scare me, Bell,"_ Angela and Zach were the only ones she allowed to call her Bell. Her father and Jacob called her Bells from time to time – usually when feeling over affectionate – and her mother and the rest of Forks still called her Bella. After the Cullens left her, and after she recuperated from her catatonic state, Angela asked her if she didn't find it weird to have complete strangers calling her by a nickname, and an embarrassed Bella tried to explain her aversion to her full name without sounding somewhat childish. At the end of the conversation, Angela was calling her Bell ("So it will mean something when I call you.") and Bella had promised to try and overcome her dislike of her name.

Hearing the affectionate moniker in Angela's distressed voice made reality crash on her and she started to cry. She couldn't believe that Zach was gone.

_"Bell?"_ Angela was still on the phone, and her voice showed just how worried she was about her friend.

"He's gone, Ang," was all she said; all she could say. Despair was closing up on her and she was starting to drown in it.

_"Who's gone?" _Angela's voice was a mix of concern and apprehension. Isabella remained in silence. _"Bell, who's gone?" _her voice was more assertive now. The only answer she received was a strangled sound. Angela cursed softly, took a deep breath and tried again. _"Bell, sweetheart, come on, you have to tell me what's going on so I can help you,"_ she cooed.

Isabella closed her eyes. After getting away from the Boarding House, she had stopped at the center of the town, where she had run into Sheriff Forbes again, this time accompanied by Carol Lockwood. Mrs. Lockwood, or Mayor Lockwood now that she had taken over after her husband's death (_shouldn't there have been an election or something like that?_ she had thought absentmindedly), had immediately expressed her surprise at seeing her in Mystic Falls and had welcomed her back enthusiastically. After a few minutes of asking how she was doing, Mrs. Lockwood had asked her if she had had any news on Zach. She was confused, of course.

"I don't want to sound rude or anything, Mrs. Lockwood," she started cautiously, "but the only reason I am in Mystic Falls _is_ to see Zach."

"I told you Carol that she didn't know," Sheriff Forbes said. She turned to Isabella then. "Earlier I didn't have the time to inform you, but Zach is out of town on family business."

She slowly nodded her head. "That was what Damon said too." She could see how both women brightened at the mention. She almost raised an eyebrow at their reaction.

"Oh! Damon…yes…" the blonde started. "He has been taking care of things here while Zach is absent."

"That's right," Carol agreed. "He has been doing a lot for this town since he and his brother arrived. Have you met Stefan too?" she shook her head. If it depended on her, she wouldn't have met Damon either. Zach's warnings were clear on her mind.

It was then that everything clicked inside her mind. Zach not answering her calls, him going away without warning her or Angela, the _brothers' _presence in the town. She inhaled sharply, her heart refusing to believe the reality her mind was showing her.

"I gotta go," she had told them a little shakily; interrupting whatever they were saying (something about having to get to know them since they were Zach's nephews, which made them her family too). She had to get away. "I'll see if I can get in contact with Zach. Sheriff, Mayor, it was good to see you again," and she was gone.

"_Bell?" _Angela's voice brought her back. She opened her eyes and saw the hotel room she was staying at. She took a deep breath to center herself and opened her mouth.

"The Salvatore Brothers are back," her only response was the sound of Angela's breathe catching soundly in her throat.

* * *

"My name is Damon Salvatore."

Isabella froze. _You've got to be fucking kidding me_, she thought despairingly. _If there is a God up there, He must really hate me_. Wasn't it only minutes ago that she was thinking about the impossibilities of ever meeting the infamous brothers? _It's not looking so impossible now_, she thought bitterly, watching the man in front of her. She was once again thankful to her observational skills when she saw the minute tensing of his shoulders and the narrowing of his eyes in response to her body locking in place.

"I-I…" she took a deep breathe to calm her nerves. _Come on Swan, you can do it_. She turned her eyes away from him. Once calm, she stared at him again. "Sorry about that," she gave him an embarrassed smile. "It's just that Zach told me about you. You're supposed to be the bad brother, right?" Damon just raised an eyebrow at that.

"If I'm the _bad _brother, it means that there is a _good _brother," Damon smirked. Typical Zach, badmouthing him while praising Stefan. He wasn't surprised. It has been happening since the time he was still human. Even his father – specially his father – praised the goodness that was Stefan while demeaning every effort he ever made. He should be used to it by now. But it wasn't important at the moment. But knowing who this girl was… this was important. She just offered him a shy smile in response. "Would you like to come in?" he gestured inside.

Isabella's heart stopped beating for a moment. Step inside the Boarding House with Mr. Handsome here, without Zach? _So not happening_. After the Cullens' departure she did everything she could to develop a sense of self-preservation. She wasn't going _anywhere_ with Mr. Vampire. The scar on her wrist said so.

She looked at the wrist where her bite mark was concealed by the long-sleeve of the shirt she was wearing. It was tingling, which told her that whatever Zach told her about Damon's nature was more than likely true. It tingled when she was around Jacob or when Victoria was relatively close, there was that teacher in high school, and the first time she met Sheila Bennett and Richard Lockwood – though when around the deceased mayor, it wasn't so strong as with the others.

"I would love to Mr. Salvatore –"

"Damon," he interrupted her. "Mr. Salvatore makes me feel old," he gave her a charming smirk.

"Damon," she conceded. She wasn't going to antagonize him. "But I still have some things to do before calling it a night." It wasn't a lie. She did have things to do. "Do you know when Zach is coming back?" she repeated her earlier question while looking at him through her lashes. Being in Damon's presence had made her incredibly shy. The charming way he was treating her wasn't helping.

"He didn't say," he answered her. "But next time I talk to him, I'll tell him that you came looking for him, miss…"

She felt her cheeks heating as the blush presented itself once again. Though embarrassed for not having introduced herself, she was also reluctant to do so. But she didn't see any other way out of it now. She glanced at him again and saw the amused spark in his eyes. She sighed. Oh well, nothing she could do now. So she straightened herself, plastered a smile on her lips, looked at him in the eyes and extended her hand.

"Isabella Swan."

* * *

Damon was sitting in one of the many couches that littered the living room, a glass filled with bourbon in one hand. He was thinking about the visitor he had earlier today: the pretty and shy brunette that came looking for his nephew. She looked vaguely familiar, though he couldn't tell exactly why.

The sound of the front door opening then closing, two sets of footsteps and two voices announced the arrival of his brother and his girlfriend, Elena Gilbert. They came straight to the living room, but paused when they saw him there.

"Hey," Elena said in greeting and his brother nodded in his direction, going straight to the many bottles of alcohol and pouring himself a glass of bourbon. He just raised his glass in response, not willing to talk, and observed her.

Looking at Elena's oval face, light olive complexion, almond-shaped brown eyes, long, brown hair and slim, slightly athletic physique, he could see why he thought Isabella Swan was familiar. Though there were obvious differences that set them apart, Isabella could pass as the doppelgänger's sister. Narrowing his eyes, Damon decided to ask Elena about it.

"Say Elena," his voice was casual, not letting them in the suspicions he was having. Elena and Jeremy were fine, he couldn't do anything about them without having his brother, Barbie or Witchy bitching at him; John… sadly, he was still useful at the moment so he couldn't kill him yet, but he was slowly getting there. He didn't need another Gilbert in the town. When he had her attention, he spoke, "are there any other Gilberts that we should be made aware of?"

"Other than John?" she was clearly confused by his question. "None that I know about. Why?"

"Did something happen, Damon?" Stefan asked him while going back to Elena, slightly worried about the theme of the conversation. The Gilberts have been on the Founder's Council since the town was founded, and the Council, as a whole (Damon didn't count), was extremely anti-vampires. Having another Gilbert around would cause problems to them. And they had enough of them with Elijah around.

"There was this really pretty woman who came here today…" he trailed off and lifted his glass to his lips, seeping his drink.

"So…" Stefan prompted, impatiently, starting to lose interest in what his brother had to say. Of course a woman caught his brother's attention, it was inevitable. But the fact that she was possibly a Gilbert was enough to keep his attention in the conversation. Maybe she was like Elena and Jeremy and didn't know anything about the supernatural. He could only hope.

"So, she was looking for Zach," Damon said, looking straight in his brother's eye, hoping to convey his thoughts on the matter. Stefan stiffened. "But what I thought really interesting about her is that she could easily pass for your sister," he said redirecting his eyes to the brunette by his brother's side. The sight still made his insides churn; he would never get used to this. Starting to get side-tracked by his thoughts, he almost missed the look of realization that crossed her eyes. His attention focused on her. "You know her." It wasn't a question.

Elena became slightly flustered at the attention they were bestowing on her. While she was used to have Stefan solely focusing on her, she still wasn't used – or comfortable really – to have Damon doing the same. The way that those ice-blue orbs were craved on her was too intense. She turned her eyes from his to more familiar green ones, which were regarding her curiously.

"You see, I don't really know her," she commenced, alternating her gaze from one brother to another. Damon raised an eyebrow at her answer. "I only know _of_ her…" she trailed off, fidgeting with her hands. Damon made an impatient sound when she didn't continue, so Stefan decided he would be the one to prompt an answer out of her.

"So, who is she?" he didn't try to hide the curiosity in his voice.

"Her name is Isabella Swan," Elena licked her lips nervously, not knowing if she should continue or not. In one hand, she didn't want to put the other girl in danger by telling the two men in front of her who she was and why she was looking for Zach. On the other, she thought they deserved to know, it was family business after all. _Their_ family business. _And maybe she will be able to help us make Damon behave_, said a little voice inside her head, though she thought it highly unlikely. Zach had tried after all, and look what happened to him. Even if he _had_ tried to starve Damon, he didn't deserve what happened.

"And…" she looked up to see those intense blue eyes staring at her. In that moment she made her decision.

"And she is Zach's cousin."


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello everybody, last week has been quite a busy one. My brother and his wife came to visit us, I've been studying for my exams and my mom was taken to the hospital.**

**Other than that, I would like to express my astonishment to the response this fic is getting. It's _way_ more than I expected when I decided to write it. Thanks to everybody who reviewed, favorited and alerted. Your support is invaluable.**

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**_Chapter 2_**

After a long day of boring lessons that he had already learnt before, we can find Stefan heading to the Grill to meet with Elena and their friends. Sometimes he wonders about his decision of going to high school again. If there is something that he will never disagree with Damon about is the thought that being surrounded by hormonal teenagers with great propensity to drama and competitiveness, while some adult drones on about things that he already knows about, is _not_ the way to spend his eternity. He was not sure he would be doing it again if it wasn't for Elena. Damon once said that it was one of the ways he picked to punish himself while in his eternal search to redemption. He wonders sometimes…

Anyway, Damon was a little out of sorts since they were told about Zach's cousin… and an upset Damon didn't bode well for anyone. Elena couldn't tell them if this Isabella was from the Salvatore line or not. The only thing she could say was that a few years ago she and one friend appeared in Mystic Falls looking for Zach Salvatore, and next thing everyone knew he was telling everyone about the cousin he had found (or that had found him, as was the case). She also told them about the talks and commentaries, and how Caroline had come to her and asked her if the "new girl" was Elena's lost sister or something like that.

He entered the Grill and looked around in search of the group. It didn't take long, what with the noise they were making. At a booth in the corner, close to the bar, were Elena, Caroline, Bonnie and Jeremy. Matt was away serving another table, but he didn't doubt that the blond had already stopped at the table to have a little chat, nor that he would be back to have another chat later, even if his relationship with Caroline was still awkward.

Apparently someone said something funny, because they were all laughing rather loudly. It seems they were reminiscing, trying to speak over each other to complete the story or to correct the facts. It was amusing to see, and it also brought the memories of all the good times he spent with Lexi and of his and Damon's friendship when they were human.

Walking towards them, he noticed a brunette sitting at the bar. She was just drinking something or another, but nonetheless there was something about her that drew his attention. Ignoring it for the moment, he arrived at the table and greeted his girlfriend and friends. They paused in their conversation long enough to greet him back before going back to it, though he received a kiss from Elena before she snuggled up to him.

"You know," said Matt, approaching them, "no matter how many times she comes around here, it never ceases to amaze me how alike the two of you look." His attention was divided between Elena and the woman at the bar that had drawn Stefan's attention.

"I know it seems kind of weird –" Elena started only to be interrupted by Caroline.

"Weird? No. when Bonnie started to develop her powers, _that_ was weird." She shot an apologetic look to the witch, who just shrugged, way used to the blonde's antics. "Seeing Katherine, who can pass for your twin, is _creepy_. But you're her descendent and whatever makes you two look identical can be explained… somehow," she finished lamely. "But you and _her_," she pointed at that same brunette, "that is just _freaky_ because, as far as we know, she has no relation to you!"

And that comment right there was enough to make Stefan really focus on her. From what he could see from where he was seated, she had long brown hair, longer than Elena's, pale skin and a slender build, and she looked like she was trying to drown herself in alcohol.

"Is that…?" he asked Elena softly, not tearing his eyes away. He felt rather than saw when Elena nodded her head in answer before realizing he was not looking at her.

"Yeah, that's her."

Their exchange drew Caroline's attention, which looked inquisitively at the two of them before realization colored her features and she turned to Stefan.

"That's right," her exclamation made Bonnie, Jeremy and Matt, who were all looking at the bar, turn to them, "she is your cousin or something like that, isn't she?"

"We're not really sure," Stefan answered, his attention hadn't wavered, and his gaze was still fixed in his possible cousin's figure. "We only know that she was Zach's cousin, but we don't know if she came from a Salvatore line or if they are related through another family."

A moment of silence, then, "I wonder what happened to her," he heard Caroline say.

"What do you mean, Care?"

"All those times she's come here," the blonde answered, "I've never seen she drinking that much." He tore his eyes away to look at the blonde, his brow furrowed. Caroline had a pensive face, her blue-green eyes focusing on the drinking brunette.

"She does seem kind of depressed." Bonnie's soft voice reached his ears. "And she has this aura of sorrow around her." Her voice took a hesitant tone, as if she wasn't really sure if what she perceived was right, or how to explain it.

"Yeah," Matt was still at their table, "she said something about grieving for someone."

"Why would she tell _you_ about it?" Jeremy asked. "No offense, man, but I didn't think you're _that_ close to her." He wanted to know that too, he thought, his green eyes narrowing and focusing on the busboy.

"Well, it's a small town," Matt answered. "Which means that every time she visits, she comes to the Grill. Sometimes we talk," he shrugged. It was a sound explanation. Stefan wouldn't need to compel the poor quarterback to behave. From the corner of his eyes he could see Caroline relaxing. It would seem that she had no reason to feel jealous after all.

"Damon said she knew about him." He blurted and saw the alarm taking over the faces of his friends, their bodies tensing, with the exception of Matt, who looked slightly confused. What did Damon have to do with this, and why were the others reacting that way? "Called him the _bad _brother."

"It's not as if she is wrong about him," Caroline shrugged, but he could see that her posture was still stiff.

Stefan looked around him and made a split-second decision. He stood up. The others looked at him curiously. "Well, I'm gonna go present myself," he said. The others nodded. "I'll see if I can discover anything else," was the reason he gave, though he was not sure if they bought it. He was sure that he wasn't able to fool Elena, nor Caroline (the blonde could be quite perceptive when she felt like it). They knew he just wanted an excuse to go and finally meet her. He wasn't sure about the others.

He went towards the bar, feeling more nervous than he ever remembered feeling, even if he didn't let it show on his face.

Now that he was closer, he could see what the girls were talking about. There was an almost imperceptible slump to her shoulders (you had to really be paying attention to notice it), her long hair curtained her face, hiding her from his view, and the way she was going through her shots would have made Damon proud.

He took a deep, calming breath before approaching her. "Excuse me, are you Isabella Swan?" she turned to look at him. Brown met green. He could finally understand what his friends were so freaked out about. She looked like what he imagined Elena would turn out to be when she reached her twenties. Not that different from now, but still slightly more mature; a woman. But it was easy to see the differences as well; pale skin, heart-shaped face, eyes that were weary and wise.

"Who's asking?" she asked with an arched eyebrow and tilted head, and he realized he had been staring. He felt his cheeks heating up and looked away, his inner gentleman ashamed. When he was sure his face looked normal again, he returned his gaze to her. Her eyes had a spark of amusement and mischief in them. He felt himself smiling. He extended his hand.

"I'm Stefan Salvatore."

* * *

When Isabella entered the Grill that night, she had every intention to get herself to the bar, sit on a stool and drink herself to oblivion. Every cell on her body focused on that simple plan. She was so intent on it that, at first, she didn't realize the tingle going up her arm, originating from her scar.

It took her a while to pinpoint it, but she managed to find the ones that made the little venom that rested on her scar react. There was a booth close to the bar, where four teenagers were sitting talking and laughing at one thing or another. _Would you look at that, now I'm a supernatural identifier_. She didn't know if she ought to feel amused, horrified or anything really. She decided to settle on the first; anything else would surely make her have a mental breakdown.

She decided to ignore them and went to the bar, getting back to her plan. She would drink until she passed out, she had decided. She just wanted to forget. She was in her fifth glass of bourbon when Matt approached her.

"Hey there," he said smiling. She had always liked him; he was such a sweet boy. "It's been a while since you last came here. How are you doing?"

"Mattie!" she felt the smile tugging at her lips. She looked at him, allowing her eyes to rake him head to toe. "Don't you look dashing now?" she saw the blush on his cheeks and grinned.

"Not as much as you," he said. His smile fell, though, when he looked at the glass in her hand. "Are you okay?" at her raised brow, he felt his cheeks heating up again. "I-it's just that I never saw you drink this much," he stammered, concern clear on his face.

Her expression softened. She was grateful for his concern. "I'm grieving for someone who was very dear to me," she offered him a sad smile.

This time it was his expression that softened, his eyes filling up with understanding. Not pity, for which she was thankful. "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

She looked into his honest blue eyes and felt herself tearing up. She hugged him. "Thank you, Mattie!" she let him go. He shot her another glance before going back to work. She kept her gaze on him a while longer, then turned and raised the glass to her lips.

After a while, the tingle in her scar shot up in intensity. She paused momentarily to look at her arm. She hated when it got too intense, since the sensation tended to spread. That's why she spent so little time at La Push, especially after the pack started to expand.

She ignored it once again in order to go back to her drink.

It didn't take long for it to intensify again, but it was constant now. So whoever they were, they were approaching her location.

She felt eyes on her, staring at her back. She almost rolled her eyes. It seemed she was still new meat in Mystic Falls, even if she has been coming to this town for years. Some bloke was about to get his hopes crushed, she mused, a smirk hidden by her glass and the curtain her hair had formed around her face.

"Excuse me," said a low, masculine voice. "Are you Isabella Swan?"

At least he was polite. She would wait for the best way to let him down. Of course "best" depended on how the guy would behave so…

Anyway, she turned and found her gaze locking up with forest green eyes. Old and weary green eyes in a young man's face. He appeared to be 17 or 18 and was pale, with a broad forehead, angular jawline and a straight nose. He had straight, short, brown hair that was gelled in a spiky way. He was taller than her, standing at what she would guess was 5'10", and the casual clothes did nothing to hide his athletic body.

Finished with her inspection, she returned her gaze to his face, only to realize that _he_ wasn't finished. Cocking her head to the side, she raised an eyebrow, amused, and drew his attention. "Who's asking?"

She was delighted to see the pink tint on his cheeks when he realized he was caught staring. She understood now why everyone used to do everything they could to make her blush. It is such an amusing and adorable thing to see. She was sad to it gone when he turned back to her (she had _never _been capable of regaining control of her burning cheeks _that_ fast, she mused, pouting). He was clearly able to sense her amusement because he gave her a small smile and extended his hand.

"I'm Stefan Salvatore."

…

_Oh!_

Her mind went blank for a moment. It would seem that God _really_ hated her. She did not need that shit right now; she was grieving! She did not want to meet Stefan Salvatore, nor get to know him. He was one of Zach's supposed murderers. She was not sure if it was him or his brother, but looking at him right now, she was almost certain that it had been Damon. Stefan simply lacked that aura that screamed danger. He also looked to be more reserved while Damon was clearly a charmer.

But she didn't let her inner turmoil show on her face. She just smiled and accepted his hand. It was colder than her own, but not as cold as the Cullens', nor as hard. In fact, his skin was soft and he could simply pose as a human with a bad blood circulation problem. "The good brother."

Isabella's hand was petite compared to Stefan's, which dwarfed hers. Her skin was soft, though he could feel some small differences on the surface of the skin. He realized they were scars left by cuts and scrapes. He was surprised by her firm handshake. It was something that didn't happen often. When people perceived the slight difference in temperatures, they would drop his hand as fast as possible. Due to his diet, his skin was a little colder to the touch compared to other vampires who fed on human blood. She didn't seem to mind, though, as she offered him a smile.

Her comment almost shocked him. If he hadn't had that conversation with Damon, it would have. Sadly, he couldn't agree with her (or Zach) about it. He was not good; he just did his best after he hit the bottom. Even when compared to Damon, he couldn't say which one was the better or worst brother. The both of them had done too much, good and bad.

But it was not something that they ever told the family. They could only assume the things that the brothers did since their transition. And for some reason, Damon was the one that they feared, even if he was the one with better control.

"I'm not good," he said, shaking his head. Isabella just regarded him curiously.

"And yet, your brother is the one who has the dangerous aura." Well, that explained the fear.

"I never said he was good," he found himself sitting on the stool beside hers. She raised an eyebrow.

"Neither did I," she tilted her head, observing him. He stared back.

"You don't think I'm dangerous?" he was the one raising an eyebrow, now.

"Oh, no. I'm quite sure that you are," she answered, gesturing with her hand dismissively. "Especially to someone like me."

"Someone like you?" he asked with narrowed eyes. Isabella's only response was a smirk half-hidden behind her glass. _She knows_. "Why stay then... here, talking to me?" he felt defensive. She knew and she might possibly be a threat. He must protect Elena!

"It's not like I can outrun you, can I?" her voice was disinterested, as if she was stating the weather. For the first time in his life, he felt like gaping. That had not been the reaction he was expecting.

"Then, why stay in the town?" he didn't know what to make of her. He never met someone like her. Not only did she know what he was, she wasn't afraid of him. Who was this woman?

"It would make people suspicious if I were to go away without at least pretending to get to know Zach's _nephews_." The emphasis she put on the word 'nephews' showed the amusement she felt at the designation. Isabella was all too aware who was the nephew and who were the uncles.

This last statement, more than anything, told him how she was not happy with the situation. He felt a pang in his chest when he realized that if it wasn't for the fact that people in small towns could be very close-minded, she would have already packed her bags and gone away without getting to know him. And he still didn't know if she was from the Salvatore line or not, though he was almost sure of it. He didn't think Zach would have bothered to warn her, otherwise. But why did she hate him?

They spent a while in silence, each lost in their thoughts. After a while, he heard her sigh and raised his eyes to look at her. Isabella had lowered her glass and was looking at its contents as if searching for answers. He remained quiet.

"What did you think of Zach?" the question caught Stefan off-guard and he stared at her, searching for words. The fact that the question was in the past tense didn't escape his notice.

"He was a good man," he told her. She nodded her head and turned to him. Her chocolate eyes were filled with unshed tears.

"Then why is he gone?" Stefan sighed, running his finger through his hair. It was not a question he would like to answer. But looking in her glassy eyes, he decided he owed her that much.

He stood up and offered her his arm. "Walk with me?" what he was going to tell her wasn't something that should be talked about in the Grill.

Isabella looked at his hand, uncertain. Her common sense warring with her need to know what happened. In the end, curiosity won and she took his hand. "Okay."

He nodded and escorted her out. His mind going through the words he would use to tell her everything from the beginning.


End file.
